blaine



Jan. 27 1931. J. R. BLAINE 1,790,457

SHEET FEEDING MEGHANI SM Fi1ed Dec. 7, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Josepizfl.1520 1726,

Jan. 27, 1931. BLAINE 1,790,457

SHEET FEEDING MECHANISM Filed Dec. 7, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 PatentedJan. 27, 1931 UNITED. STATES PATENT OFFICE JOSEPH R. BLAINE, OF OAKPARK, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOIL TO THE MIEHLE PRINTING PRESS & MANUFACTURINGCOMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS SHEET-FEEDINGMECHANISM Application filed December 7,1928. Serial No. 324,409.

gaging grippers arranged to oscillate between sheet supporting means andthe printing couple of a press for the purpose of transferrin g a sheetof material from the sheet supporting means to such printing couple.

The primaryobject of this invention is to provide a device which willassure positive register of the sheets fed to the printing press.

My improved mechanism will also permit of the feeding of sheets at anexceedingly high rate of speed without, however, impairing the accurateregister ofthe sheets fed.

Other objects and novel features of this invention will be apparent fromthe following description and appended claims.

I have illustrated a preferred form of my invention in the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

Figure 1 shows the position of the improved stop gripper deviceimmediately before a sheet is engaged to betransferred to the cylinderof a press;

Figure 2 shows the relative position of the cooperating parts after asheet has been engaged by the stop grippers and immediately before thegrippers begin their transfer movement; s

Figure 3 is an end elevation of Figure 2; and s Figure 4 illustrates thestop gripper mechanism in its position when a sheet is transferred tothe grippers of an impression cylinder or the like, also indicating inbroken lines the position of the stop grippers in the end position oftheir reciprocating motion.

According to the preferred form which I have chosen to describe myinvention, the

sheet transfer means, hereinafter termed stop grippers, is mounted on arock shaft 10 which is preferably arranged above the impression purposeof slidabl I ated' operating ro 31 and32. The lower 100 cylinder 11 andthe front edge of the feed board 12 of the printing press to which myinvention is applied.

The sheet transfer grippers 13 and cooperating gripper pads 14preferably made of yieldable material such as rubber, are carried byshafts 15 and 16 respectively and are actuated by means of earns 17 and18 as will be hereinafter described. Rigidly secured to the rock shaft10 is a bracket 19 which has two downwardly extending arms 20 and 21,the former of'which pivotally supports at its free end a bracket 22,which in turn carries the gripper shaft 15 and the gripper padsupporting shaft 16.

As shown in Figure 3, a cam roller 23 is,

mounted at the free end of the shaft 16 and in the path of the cam 18 sothat as the latter rotates, the bracket 22 will be rocked about itsfulcrum 24 for the purpose hereinafter indicated. The outer end of thegripper shaft 15 has rigidly secured thereto a bracket 25 'which in turncarries a roller 26 which cooperates with the gripper operating cam 17to actuate the gripper shaft 15 for the purpose of opening and closingthe grippers 13. The

cams 17 and 18 are carried on a hub 27, which inder 11 at the time whenthe sheet is transferred from the stop grippers 13 to the grippers ofthe cylinder indicated in broken lines in Figure '4. However, the actualdriving mechanism whereby the rock shaft 10 is operated does not formpart of this invention 1 but is described and illustrated on a separateapplication, Serial No. 324,476 filed December 7, 1928, by A. G.Jacobson.

The bracket 19 mounted on the rock shaft 10 is formed with lugs 28, 29,and 30 for the supporting spring actuend of the rod 31 is pivotallyconnected to a bracket 33 which is rigidly secured to the gripper shaft15 to rock therewith so that by the action of the spring 34, the roller26 is maintained in contact with the gripper shaft operating cam 17.Similarly, due to the connection of the lower end of rod 32 with the arm35 of the bracket 22, the roller 23 will be maintained in constantengagement with the cam 18 by the action of the compression spring 36.

The gripper pads 14 which cooperate with the grippers 13 to hold andconvey the sheets from the feed board 12 to the cylinder 11 are mountedon arms 37 which are rigidly secured to the shaft 16.

According to the preferred form of construction I provide an adequatenumber of front guides 38 which are preferably mounted on brackets 39carried by a rock shaft 40 so that they may be adjusted longitudinallyof said shaft. This rock shaft 40 is actuated by any suitable mechanismso that the front guides 38 will be swung downwardly out of theiroperative position as shown in Figure 1 immediately after the grippers13 and pads 14 have engaged the front edge of the sheet 41.

The operation of the stop gripper mechanism just described is asfollows:

The rock shaft 10 is oscillated through a predetermined angle by meansof driving mechanism, which, as already indicated, forms part of aseparate application, and

whereby the bracket 19 will move from the position shown in Figure 2 tothe position indicated in broken lines in Figure 4, and vice versa. 7

The cams 17 and 18 preferably rotate at a constant rate of speed in thedirection indicated by the arrows. The cam 17 is so timed that thegrippers 13 will be closed when the bracket 19 reaches the positionshown in Figure 2 and will maintain the grippers closed until thebracket '19 reaches the position shown in full lines in Figure 4, atwhich time the sheet carried by the grippers 13 and pads 14 will betaken over by the cylinder grippers, or by any other equivalent meansprovided on the cylinder or the like 11.

From the time the grippers 13 engage the sheet 41 fed down on the feedboard 12, and at which time the shaft 10 will commence its motion in aclockwise direction to the position indicated in Figure 4, the speed ofthe bracket 19, and therefore of the grippers 13 and pads 14, will begradually accelerated so that at the time when the grippers of thecylinder 11 take over the sheet from the stop grippers 13, the latterwill have reached the surface speed of the cylinder 11. This feature isexceedingly important in sheet feeding apparatus where positive registerof the sheets has to be maintained; it will eliminate any possibleslipping of the sheet as the latter is taken over by the cylindergrippers which usually travel at an exceedingly high rate of speed.

After the grippers 13 have reached the position shown in Figure 4, andafter the sheet 41 has been transferred to the cylinder 11, the roller26 on the bracket 25 will begin to ride over the high portion 42 of thecam 17 for the purpose of opening said grippers, thereby releasing thesheet 41, which will now be held to the cylinder 11 by the cylindergrippers, which latter may be operated in any suitable manner.

Upon continued rotation of the bracket 19 toward its position indicatedby broken lines in Figure 4, the grippers 13 will again close as soon asthe roller 26 reaches the low portion of the cam 17. However, before thebracket 19 reaches its end position, the roller 23, carried on the shaft16 supported in the bracket 22, will ride over the low portion 44 of thecam 18, whereby, due to the action of the spring 36, the operating rod32 will be moved outwardly and consequently the bracket 22 will berocked about its fulcrum 24 in an anti-clockwise direction to bring thegrippers 13 and associated parts into a withdrawn position indicated bybroken lines in Figure 4.

The purpose of withdrawing the grippers 13 to a position within theirnormal plane or circle of transfer operation AA is to provide clearancebetween said grippers and the surface of the cylinder 11 so that duringthe return stroke of the bracket 19, the grippers will not foul thecylinder or any part thereon. Therefore, the arrangement is such thatthe IOU roller 23 will remain on the low portion 44 of cam 18 byfollowing the movement of the cam until the grippers 13 and gripper pads14 have returned to their relative positions shown in Figure 1,whereupon, they will enage the next following sheet placed on the eedboard 12.

It will be evident from the drawings that when the grippers and gripperpads 14 reach the position in Figure 1, they are still withdrawn fromtheir plane of transfer operation, and therefore when they reach thatposition, they will not interfere in any way with the register of thesheet placed on the board 12. Moreover, when stock is being handled thatis apt to curl, then as the pads are lowered into co-operative positionwith the grippers 13, they will flatten out the leading edge of a curledup sheet before the sheet is gripped, thereby, assuring perfect registerof the sheet.

The lowering of the pads 14 is accomplished by the high portion 45 ofcam 18 en? gaging the roller 23, see Figure 2, the bracket 22 will thenbe rocked downwardly and move the gripper pads 14 down onto the sheet 41previously positioned to register against the front guides or stops 38by any suitable mechanism. By that time, however, the high portion 43will have passed the roller 26 and the grippers will be closed.

. During the movement of the bracket 19 from its position where thegrippers take thev sheet from the feed board 12:, to its position wherethe sheet is transferred to the cylinder grippers, the roller 23 willride over the high portion of cam 18, while the roller 26 will remain incontact with the low portion 46 of cam 17.

As shown in Figure 4, thestop grippers and associated parts have reachedtheir position where the sheet carriedthereby will be sheet. After thecam cusp 42 has passed the roller 26, the latter will ride over the lowportion 47 of cam 17, thereby closing the grippers 13. At the same timethe roller 23 will have reached the low portion 44 of the'cam 18 andsubsequently the grippers 13 as well as the gripper pads 14 will bewithdrawn to a position within their circle of transfer operation AA' asindicated in broken lines in Figure 4.

After the stop grippers 13 and associated parts have reached theirposition shown in broken lines in Fig. 4, the motion of the bracket 19will be reversed by mechanism which forms the subject of said co-pendingapplication, and the stop, grippers will be moved in an anti-clockwisedirection, and held within their withdrawn position until the roller 26is engaged by the cusp 43 of cam 17 to open the grippers 13 as shown inFigure 1. Thereupon, the pads 14 will be lowered onto the sheet and thegrippers closed to engage the sheet before the bracket 19 commences itssheet transfer motion towards the cylinder 11.

, It will be readily understood that the mechanism just. described issubject to modifications Without departing from the principle of theinvention, and therefore, it is my intention to cover any suchmodifications that will come within the terms of the appended claims.

I claim 1. In sheet feeding mechanism, the combination of a movablesheet carrier, including sheet holding means on said carrier, and meansfor withdrawing said sheet holding means from its plane of transferoperation for clearance purposes.

2. In sheet feeding mechanism, the combination of a reciprocating sheetcarrier, including gripper means on said carrier, and continuallyrotating means for withdrawing said gripper means from its plane oftransfer operation.

' 3. In sheet feeding mechanism, the combination of a reciprocatingsheet carrier having a variable speed, gripper means on said carrier,and rotating means, concentric with said sheet carrier for withdrawingsaid gripper means from its plane of transfer operation.

4. In sheet feeding mechanism, the combination of a reciprocating sheetcarrier, including sheet engaging grippers mounted on said carrier tomove therewith, and rotating means for withdrawing said grippers fromtheir plane of transfer operation.

5. In sheet feeding mechanism, the com-.

bination of a reciprocating sheet carrier having a variable speed andincludmg a sheet engaglng gripper and pad mounted on said carrier tomove therewith, and rotatingmeans concentric with said sheet carrierforwithdrawing said gripper and pad from their plane.

6. In sheet feeding mechanism, the combination of sheet supplying means,a printing couple, a reciprocating sheet carrier having sheet engagingelements to engage a sheet of'material while at rest on said sheetsupplying means. and to convey it to'said printing couple, andcontinually rotating means for withdrawing said sheet engaging elementsfrom their plane of transfer operation.

7. In sheet feeding mechanism, the combination of sheet supplying means,a printing member, a reciprocating sheet carrier having sheetengaginggrippers to engage a sheet ofmaterial while at. rest. on said sheetsupplying means and to convey it to said printing member, and meansfor,withdrawing said sheet engaging grippers from their plane oftransfer operation.

8. In sheet feeding mechanism, the com bination .of a sheet transfermember, sheet engagingelements on said member, sheet supplying means, aprinting member, means for reciprocating said transfer member to conveya sheet of material from said sheet supplying means to said printingmember, and rotating means to withdraw said sheet engaging elements fromtheir plane of'transfer operation after a sheet of material has beentransferred to said printing element.

.9. In sheet feeding mechanism, the combination of a sheet transfermember, sheet engaging elements on said member, sheet supplying means, aprinting member, means for reciprocating said transfer member to conveya sheet of material from said sheet supplying means to said printingmember,

rotating means to Withdraw said sheet engaging elements from their planeof transfer operation after asheet of material has been transferred tosaid printing member,

and means to hold said elements in withdrawn position during the returnmovement of said transfer member.-

10. In sheet feeding mechanism, the combination of a sheet transfermember, sheeten-g pression cylinder, a sheet transfer member havingsheet engaging grippers mounted to move therewith for transferring asheet of material from said sheet supplying means to said impressioncylinder at an accelerating speed, and means continually rotating forwithdrawing said sheet engaging grippers from their operative positionafter a sheet of material has been transferred to said impressioncylinder.

12. In sheet feeding mechanism, the combination of a sheet transfermember, sheet engaging grippers and cooperating supports mounted to movewith said transfer member, means to impart reciprocating motion to saidmember, and rotating means concentric with said transfer member towithdraw said supports from their plane of transfer operation.

13. In sheet feeding mechanism, the combination of a sheet transfermember having a variable. speed, sheet engaging grippers and cooperatingsupports mounted to move with said transfer member, and continuallyrotating means to withdraw ,said grippers and supports from their planeof transfer operation.

14. In sheet feeding mechanism, the combination of a sheet transfermember having sheet engaging elements, means to impart reciprocatingmotion to said member, sheet guides operable independently of said sheettransfer member, and rotary means to withdraw said sheet engagingelements from their plane of transfer operation.

15. In sheet feeding mechanism, the combination ofsheet supplying means,a printing member, a sheet carrier having a variab e speed and adaptedto transfer a sheet of material from said sheet supplying means 7 tosaid print-ing member, sheet registering -means, and means to Withdrawsaid registering means when a sheet of material is engaged by saidtransfer member.

16. In sheet feeding mechanism, the combination of a sheet transfermember having sheet engaging grippers and cooperating gripper supports,sheet registering guides,

means to move a sheet of material to register with said guides, means towithdraw said of November, 1928.

sheet registering guides, means to move a sheet of material intoregister with said guides, means to withdraw said gripper pad supportsfrom their plane of transfer operation, rotary means concentric withsaid transfer member to move said supports on to the sheet when thelatter is presented to said guides, and means for imparting acceleratingmotion to said transfer member.

18. In sheet feeding mechanism, the combination of a sheet transfermember mounted on a rock shaft and adapted to move at an acceleratingspeed, sheet engaging meanspivotally carried on said transfer member toswing about a fulcrum eccentric with respect to said rock shaft for thepurpose of moving said sheet engaging meansin and out of the normalplane of feeding operation.

19. In sheet feeding mechanism, the combination of a sheet transfermember mounted on a rock shaft and adapted to move at an acceleratingspeed, sheet engaging means pivotally carried on said transfer memberto, swing about a fulcrum eccentric with respect to said rock shaft forthe purpose of moving said sheet engaging means in and out of its sheetcarrying position.

20. In sheet feeding mechanism, the combination of a sheet transfermember mounted on a rock shaft and adapted to move at an acceleratingspeed, sheet engaging means pi'votally carried on brackets mounted onsaid transfer member to swing about afulcrum eccentric with respect tosaid rock shaft for the purpose of moving said sheet engaging means inand out of the normal plane of feeding operation.

21. In sheet feeding mechanism, the combination of a movable sheetcarrier, including a gripper and a cooperating yieldable gripper pad,and means for radially withdrawin said gripper and pad fromtheir plane 0transfer operation for clearance purposes.

Signed at Chicago, Illinois, this 30th day JOSEPH R. BLAINE.

